Unspoken
by Lola-2011
Summary: Holly and Duke Lavery are married until something happens that changes everything. Holly, Duke, Robert, & Anna.
1. Chapter 1

Unspoken

Chapter: 1

Pairing: Robert/Holly

Rating: PG

~London, England 1991~

Three year old Elizabeth looked up at her mother, her eyelashes batting slightly, giving her the cutest smile that she could muster. "Can I please have another cookie?" she asked, politely. "One more?"

Holly felt her resolve cracking and under the influence of a three year old with the blues eyes she had ever seen. "Okay." she said, placing the smallest peanut butter cookie of the batch into her daughters tiny hand. "But you have to help mummy pick up your toys."

"Okay." she agree, biting into the cookie. "I promise."

She kissed the tip of her daughter's nose. "Then we have to go pick out a baby gift for Uncle Barry, okay?"

"I love to shop." she beamed. "Can I have a new dress?"

"We'll see."

"Daddy's home!" Elizabeth proclaimed, jumping down off the chair and flying into the living room. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Duke sat down his briefcase and lifted his daughter up into his arms. "Hello, princess." he said, kissing her cheek. "How was your day?"

"We made cookies!" she told him. "Your favorite!"

"Is that so?" he asked, walking toward the kitchen. "I hope you saved me some."

"Bunches."

Duke placed Elizabeth down on the kitchen chair. "Pick daddy out the biggest cookie you can find." he told her, walking over to Holly. He placed a kiss against the side of her neck. "Miss me?"

"Always." she smiled. "I made us dinner reservations for tonight at your favorite restaurant."

"What's the special occasion?"

"It's your birthday, daddy!" Elizabeth said, walking over and handing her father the biggest cookie she could find. "This is the biggest one."

"Thank you, sweetheart." he said, accepting the cookie. "Why don't you go and pick up your toys and put them away for me?"

"Okay." she said, heading out of the kitchen.

Duke bit into the cookie. "I have to leave in the morning for a business trip." he told his wife. "O

m going to be gone for about a week."

"A week?" she repeated. "But Duke you were suppose to be taking a few days off. We already made plans to take Elizabeth to the zoo and to the amusement park."

"And we can still do all those things." he assured her. "I just have to take care of some business first. I promise that we'll do all those things when I get back."

"Where are you going that's so important?"

"Just a small little town in the States." he told her. "Nothing exciting, just some business that I have to take care of."

Holly's mood took an instant nosedive. She wondered if the small town he had to do business in was the same small town in which he had once lived. The town in which his ex-wife and former stepdaughter lived. When they had first met they both were recovering from broken hearts and shattered expectations. They had vowed to leave the past in the past and only concentrate on the future. It was the only way they could move forward with their lives.

The only difference was that Duke knew all about who Holly Sutton Scorpio was but she in return had no clue about Duke Lavery or his connection to Port Charles, Anna Devane, or Robert Scorpio.

tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

Unspoken

Chapter: 2

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

"It's just business." Duke tried to assure her. "And it's something that I have to take care of personally. I promise you that I'll be back as soon as I possibly can."

Holly's resolve started to crack. She trusted him and she loved him and that was that. "Okay." she exhaled. "It's just that this place you're going...is it where you used to live?"

"Yes." he answered, honestly. "I don't want to go back there, but I don't have a choice in the matter. I want to get in and out of that town as quickly as I possibly can and home to you and Elizabeth."

She nodded in understanding. Perhaps her husband was braver than she was because she could never again step foot in Port Charles. The fact that he was willing to go back into his past and not be afraid to face it said something for his character. He was a man of honor and integrity and that's why she loved him so much. But there was still one question on her mind.

"Are you going to see her?"

"See who?"

"Your ex-wife?" she asked. "Are you going to see her whilst you're in town?"

Duke paused. This wasn't a question he had been expecting. It was very rare that they ever mentioned their past lives. The only thing they focused on was their life together. "No." he replied after giving it some thought. "I'm not going to see her. She's in my past and the only thing that matters now is our life together with our daughter."

"I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all." she told him. "We've both worked so hard to move on with our lives."

"And nothing is going to change that." he assured her. "This is exactly where I want to be."

Duke had kissed his wife and daughter goodbye and boarded the plane on his way to JFK. There he would pick up a connecting flight to Port Charles and hopefully arrive before it got too dark. The anticipation was building up within him. The fear of the unknown. It wasn't ever his intention to come back to Port Charles. Especially since he had married the supposed dead wife of the police commissioner.

Hopefully he could get business taken care of and get out of Port Charles undetected by anyone from his past. High hopes that he himself knew could not possibly be fulfilled. His one concern in all of it was Holly. He didn't want her hurt in any way and it was becoming increasing clear that there was going to be no way around it. The closer the plane got to the States the more fear filled Duke's veins.

The only thing Duke could do to calm his nerves was to think about the events of the previous night and his birthday celebration with his wife and daughter and their friends. He finally had everything he had always wanted. A happy, normal life. No danger. No bad guys. No constantly looking over his shoulder. It was a good life. And it was because of Holly.

The only thing Duke could make out were bright lights. Flashing bright lights. And even they seemed to fade in and out. The last thing he could remember was seeing his wife and daughter at the airport. Everything else was a complete blur. There was a thick Australian accent in the background. Loud and demanding and persistent. Finally things faded completely out for Duke.

"I need that man alive!" Robert was yelling. "You cannot let him die!"

"We're going to do everything we can, Commissioner." the doctor tried to assure him. "It doesn't look good though."

Anna came bursting through the elevator doors and directly over to where Robert was standing. "Is it true?" she asked. "Is it really Duke? Is he really alive?"

Robert was silent.

"Answer me." she demanded. "Is it true?"

"Yes." he answered, softly. "He shot though down on the docks and things don't look good."

"How is this possible?" she asked. "How can he possibly be alive?"

"I don't know." Robert replied. "Duke had deep connections, Anna."

"There's no way he would willingly leave me." she told him. "We were happy together. We were a family. I was never so happy as when I was with Duke."

The words were somewhat painful and somewhat of a relief to Robert. He was nothing more than a stand in just like she was nothing more than a stand in for Holly. "I know." he exhaled. "Duke's been gone for years, Anna, we don't know where he's been or what he's been doing."

"Are you saying that he's in the mob again?"

"I don't know." he replied. "But it certainly appears that way."

It was the call that no wife ever wanted to get. The dreaded call that something has gone terribly wrong. The call that could change absolutely everything. Holly was awoken early morning by this call and fear and panic were the first two things that began to spin around in her mind. And then there came even more shocking news, Duke was at General Hospital in Port Charles.

Port Charles of all places on earth. Duke said that he had to return to the small town where he once lived to take care of business. Even in her wildest imagination she would have never guessed Port Charles. It made her wonder exactly what else her loving husband had been keeping from her. And what exactly his connection was to the town she had once called home.

The dreaded re-entry back into Port Charles was terrifying to Holly. Everyone she knew and loved thought that she was dead and she decided to stay that way. But now she was forced into facing what she should have faced a very long time ago, even if it meant that she was going to get hurt. She was going to walk into a hospital where she knew the doctors and the nurses by name.

The step off of the elevator was a difficult one. One that took all the strength that Holly had. The walk over to the nurses station took an eternity and when she looked at the nurses before her she was relieved to not recognize any of them from her former life.

"May I help you?" a young nurse asked.

"Yes." she replied. "I'm here to see my husband, Duke Lavery."

"I'll call the doctor." she replied. "He can explain things to you and then take you to see him. Just give me a few moments."

Holly walked over to the waiting area, wanting to keep her face out of sight as much as possible. She stared at the walls and out the window. Anything to keep people from noticing who she was. But unbeknownst to Holly it was too late.

Anna caught a glimpse of dark hair from across the lobby. And something caused her to look twice. It couldn't be, but it looked so much like...Holly. The lady's hair was longer, but it was curly and the same color. Curiosity had gotten the best of her so she decided to approach the lady. As soon as she got close enough to take a good look a doctor walked over to the lady.

"Mrs. Lavery." the doctor said. "I'm Dr. Thomas, I would like to talk to you about your husband and then I'll take you to see him."

"Mrs. Lavery?" Anna repeated to herself. "It can't be."

It was then that Holly turned toward her frame of view. And it was her. It was unmistakably Holly Scorpio. But had the doctor really have just said to Holly what she thought he said? Did he call her Mrs. Lavery? As in Mrs. Duke Lavery?

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Unspoken

Chapter: 3

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Holly listened silently as the doctor explained everything to her. And when he was done she asked him the few questions she had. It was very touch and go for a while. Stabilization was extremely difficult. And he still wasn't out of the woods yet. The bullet had went through his lung and damn near hit his spine. He was lucky to be alive.

Anna watched from the distance. She watched the different emotions play out on Holly's face and in her body language. Apparently she was deeply concerned for Duke. She was, after all, his wife. Something that Anna couldn't seem to quite wrap her mind around. These two people that were supposedly dead were really alive. And they were husband and wife.

Dr. Thomas placed his arm around Holly's shoulder and led her down the corridor and around the corner to Duke's room. Anna followed cautiously behind. Holly paused briefly at the doorway to Duke's room struggling to collect herself before entering. As angry and confused as she was at everything that had unraveled in the past several hours she was still deeply concerned for her husband. Duke recovering was the only thing that mattered at the moment.

Holly took a seat beside the bed, looking around at the various monitors and then down at her pale and weak husband. And it occurred to her that this might be it. This might be the end. Duke may not be able to get up and walk away from this disaster. She could lose her husband and her daughter could lose her father. She couldn't ever remember being so scared. Duke was the one who had picked her up off the ground, dusted her off, and helped her move on with her life.

~May 1989~

Fourteen month old Elizabeth squealed out in pure joy as Holly pushed the swing higher and higher. Motherhood had come so easily to her. She had been out of her coma for almost three months and in those three months she and Elizabeth had formed the most incredible bond just like they had been together from the very beginning. She had missed out on her pregnancy and thirteen months of her daughter's life, but catching up was an amazing journey.

Duke watched the duo from afar and something was strikingly familiar about the woman. Something very familiar and it took several long moments for him to put the pieces together. Although he had never met her, he had seen the pictures, and he had heard the stories. She was Holly Sutton Scorpio, the supposed late wife of Robert Scorpio.

He wanted to walk away and let it go. People had reasons for leaving their past lives. God knew he had his reasons. That was what brought him to England in the first place. A fresh start. Somewhere where noone knew him or about his connections. He had this amazing chance to reinvent himself and that's exactly what he was doing. Even though he was doing it alone. And perhaps that was what Holly was doing as well.

But there was something inside of him, nagging him. Telling him not to walk away, not to let her out of his sight even for a moment. He continued to watch the two of them together. They went from the swings to the slide and then over to get some ice cream. And that's where Duke found his in. The baby had dropped a small teddy bear on her way over to the park bench.

"Excuse, madame." Duke said, politely. "I'm afraid your little girl dropped this."

"Thank you." Holly smiled, taking the bear and handing it to her daughter. "We would have been looking for Teddy all evening."

"Are you from this area?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, it's just that I have never seen you around before."

"Actually my daughter and I just moved here last week." she replied, feeling rather at ease with him. "Does that mean that you're from the area?"

"Indeed." he smiled a very captivating smile. "I've lived here for almost a year now."

"You're accent..."

"Scottish." he told her. "I lived in the States for a while, I was afraid that it had faded."

"Not at all."

"My name is Duke Lavery." he said, curious if she knew his name. "And you are?"

"Holly Sutton." she replied. "This is my daughter, Elizabeth."

"Charming little girl." he observed. "She looks so much like her mother."

"Thank you."

"The pleasure is all mine." he replied. "I know that this is terribly presumptuous, but would you care to have an early dinner with me this evening?"

"Dinner?" she questioned.

"Yes." he smiled. "I know we just met, but there's just something about you."

Holly pondered the question for a few moments. "I'm not sure." she replied. "I mean we only just met."

"I'll tell you what." he started. "I'm going to be at Chamberlain's this evening at five. If you decide between now and then that you would like to go out, just meet me there."

"Fair enough."

Holly's fingertips softly caressed the back of Duke's hand. The thought of losing him was a thought that she couldn't bear. But the thought of him not telling her the truth still made her angry and they were such difficult emotions to juggle. For the past two years he and Elizabeth had been her entire world and now all of that could end. And not just because he was shot, but because she had now returned to the one place she never thought she would. A place where people knew her. A place where she had so many memories.

"Holly?" Anna whispered softly from the doorway.

She didn't even have to turn around. She knew who it was. And she thought she knew the onslaught of questions that she was about to receive. "Not now, Anna." she replied. "Please, not now."

"There may not be a later." she said, stepping in closer to the bed. "I think that we need to talk."

"Can't this wait?" she asked, turning around to face her. "Can't this just please wait? I want to be here with my husband right now."

"That's just it, Holly." she said. "He's not your husband, you're still legally married to Robert and I'm still legally married to Duke."

Robert approached the nurse's desk. "Is there any change in Duke Lavery's condition?" he asked. "I need to speak with him as soon as he wakes up."

"I'm afraid not, Commissioner." Katie answered. "His wife just showed up a little while ago, maybe you can ask her some questions."

"His wife?" he asked, confused. "Lavery has a wife?"

"The lady said she was his wife." she told him. "Dr. Thomas talked to her for a while and then took her to his room. I think your partner went in shortly after."

"Anna?"

Yes, sir." she replied. "She was heading in when I was finishing my rounds."

Robert left the nurses station on a mission. The last thing he wanted was Anna in a confrontation with Duke's supposed new wife. In fact he didn't want Anna anywhere near the room at all. Duke apparently still had mob connections and the last thing he wanted was his daughter and her mother in serious danger because of them.

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

Unspoken

Chapter: 4

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Holly looked at Anna in pure disbelief. So much had happened in the last twelve hours that she didn't know how much more she could take. She was afraid that she was blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Anna Devane of all people was standing in front of her telling her that she was married to Duke Lavery.

"What are you talking about, Anna?"

"Duke was my husband." she told her. "Up until last night I thought that he had died in an explosion. Just like up until this morning I thought that you had died in a plane crash."

"This is unbelievable." Holly chuckled, not wanting to believe any of it, but knowing damn well Anna's words were nothing but the truth. "I'm married to this man for almost two years and I had no idea that he had spent time in Port Charles. I had no idea that you were his ex-wife or that he knew Robert."

"You mean you didn't know anything about his past?"

"We never talked about our past relationships." she replied. "We wanted to start over fresh and concentrate on the future. Port Charles never came up."

"Duke knew who you were Holly." she told her. "We had a picture of you with Robert and Robin on our mantel. He knew that you were Robert's wife."

"So it seems." she admitted. "This entire thing is like a nightmare. Two days ago we were celebrating Duke's birthday with our friends and Elizabeth and now my entire world is upside down."

"No just your world, Holly." she corrected her. "This is one big mess and it involves you and me and Robert and Duke."

"Nothing is ever going to be the same ever again." she started to cry, softly. "Things cannot go back to the way that they were."

Anna was silent for several long moments. "Why didn't you come back?" she asked. "You're obviously not dead so why didn't you come back to Port Charles?"

"It wasn't all of my own free will." she told her. "But the last two years have been."

"How are you going to explain this to Robert?"

"I don't know." Holly said, honestly. "Robert and I obviously have a lot to talk about, but Duke could die and he is my husband. I have to be here with him, I need to be here with him."

Anna could feel her heart breaking. She wanted to be there with Duke. It was her place. He was her husband. She needed to be the one sitting by his side, holding his hand. But she had lost out. Duke had chosen to stay away from her. He was now Holly's husband. There was no way in hell that she could ask Holly to step aside, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Duke's a fighter." Anna offered. "He's going to make it through this just fine."

"I certainly hope so." she said. "Elizabeth and I are counting on him."

"Who's Elizabeth?"

"My daughter."

"Your daughter." she repeated. "Your daughter with Duke?"

Holly had already said too much. There was no way in hell that she was going to say anything more about her daughter and especially not to Anna Devane. "Yes." she answered. "Now if you'll please excuse me I'd like to be alone with my husband."

Anna turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Robert quickly approaching. "Robert." she exhaled. "What are you doing?"

"The told me Duke's wife was here." he replied. "I wanted to talk to her."

"I don't think now is a very good time."

"Situations like these are never a good time." he said. "I still have to talk to her, it's important. His wife may know something about what happened to him. She may be our key to finding you what went down on the docks."

"I don't think she's going to be any help." Anna told him. "It seems as though she's been left out in the dark."

"You questioned her?"

"I spoke with her, yes." she replied. "I don't think she can answer any of your questions."

"I'll be the judge of that." Robert said. "Excuse me."

Anna wouldn't budge from in front of the door. "You can't go in there, Robert."

"Why not?"

"Because she wanted to be alone with her husband." she told him. "I think you should respect her wishes, don't you?"

"She probably said that because you were annoying her." he replied. "Now can you please move out of my way?"

"No."

"Come on, Anna." he said. "I'm just trying to do my job."

"I can't let you go in there." she told him. "And believe me, you don't want to go in there either."

"Anna if you don't get out of my way I'm going to arrest you for interference." he warned her. "Now move out of the way."

Knowing that he would deliver on his word, Anna stepped aside. "There's something that you need to know before you go in there."

"And what's that?"

"Duke's wife...is Holly" she started. "Your Holly."

tbc...


	5. Chapter 5

Unspoken

Chapter: 5

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Holly watched the lines move across the machine to her husbands right. The squiggly lines that indicated that he was still somewhat alive. Her entire world had been turned upside down and she felt as though she were just like Duke, barely alive. She watched as his chest lifted and then fell and waited for any sign that he would open his eyes.

Her nerves were on absolute edge. She knew that Robert could and was going to walk through those doors at any moment. He was going to have questions and expect answers. He was going to be furious and upset and disappointed in her actions. She wasn't going to be able to look him in the eye. He was never going to forgive her. And she didn't blame him.

Life as she knew it had been turned upside down. Her life with Duke would never be the same again. How could it when she didn't even know anything about him to begin with. Their entire life had been a lie. Well maybe not a lie but an omission of truth. Perhaps it was the same thing. She only wondered why he did it. Why he never told her that he knew who she was. And now it seemed as though she might not get that chance at all.

Her delicate fingers gingerly stroked the inside of his open palm. Holly wanted him to wake up. She wanted him to be okay. As furious as she was with him the last thing she wanted was for him to die. She at least wanted to talk things out with him. She wanted to hear his voice. She wanted to know exactly what happened that led them to this point in their lives.

Holly closed her eyes and tried her hardest to focus on better times, on happier times, but she couldn't. She couldn't get the image of Duke, pale and weak, out of her mind. And the image of Robert angry and yelling. She felt as though the entire room was spinning. She just wanted to make everything stop. She just wanted to start all over again.

Duke eyes fluttered open and they struggled to focus on the person in front of him. The lights were bright and the medication heavy. "Holly." he exhaled, reaching toward her.

A wave of relief washed over her. "Duke." she smiled. "You're awake."

"Is that good?"

"Yeah." she breathed out. "It's good, it's really good."

His hand reached for hers. "I messed up." he said, weakly. "I'm sorry."

"I know." she replied, softly. "But right now the only thing that matters is that you get better."

"Please don't leave me, Holly." he practically begged. "I can't make it through this without you."

Robert's hand slowly moved away from the doorknob. "What did you say?" he asked her. "Repeat it!"

Anna stepped toward him and away from the door. "Duke's wife isn't really Duke's wife.' she told him. "She's your wife. She's Holly."

"That's impossible."

"Is it?' she asked. 'I know what Holly looks like. I know the sound of her voice. I spoke with her for several minutes Robert and I'm telling you that the lady in that hospital room with Duke is Holly. She's alive and well and married to Duke."

"That's insane." he said. "Absolutely insane. You're telling me that our dead spouses are really alive and well and have been together all this time that we thought that they were dead?"

"I don't know how long they've been together." Anna answered. "But I do know that they have a daughter, Elizabeth."

"This is unbelievable." he exhaled. He wanted to hit something, And it hit hard. His entire world had just caved in around him. He felt the anger rushing through his veins. He felt the adrenaline pumping so hard that he thought his heart was going to pound right out of his chest. He walked away from the ICU door and across the corridor, slouching against the wall. "What else did she say? What else did _my_ wife tell you?"

"Not much." she replied. "Other than she had no idea that Duke had spent any time in Port Charles and that he and I were married or that he knew you."

"So he lied to her."

"Certainly seems that way." she agreed. "She seems really confused right now. A lot has happened so quickly. I don't even think she knows about his mob ties."

"How could this happen?" he asked. "How could everything go so unbelievably wrong like this?"

"I don't know." she relied. "I just know that I want to be the one in there sitting by Duke's side. I want to be the one holding his hand and assuring him that it's going to be alright but I can't. I can't because she's his wife and it's her place."

Robert shook his head in understanding. All of his emotions were threatening to spill out of him and at any given moment. He was fighting a losing battle with himself and was scared that he was going to lash out in a way that he could never recover from. And mostly he was afraid that he was going to hurt the person that he loved the most. But he couldn't help it. Something inside of him snapped and he found himself entering Duke's hospital room.

Holly turned her head and looked up at Robert in surprise. He had an odd look on his face. One of confusion and hurt and anger and relief. But anger seemed to be winning the battle. He looked down at a sleeping Duke and then back at Holly. Before he knew it his hand was firmly around her arm and he was jerking her up out of the chair. "You and I need to talk." he told her. "Alone."

tbc...


	6. Chapter 6

Unspoken

Chapter: 6

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Robert closed the door to the poorly lit private waiting room. He fiddled with the lock. He had practically ripped Holly away from her dying husband's side. Against her will. And against his better judgement. Now that he was totally alone with her he wasn't sure what was going to happen next. With steady breaths he tried to calm himself.

Ever so slowly he turned around to face her. "Where have you been all these years?" he asked as calmly and collectedly as he could. "How could you have stayed away?"

"It wasn't all by choice." she defended herself. "There are circumstances you know nothing about."

"Educate me, then." he said. "I want a thorough explanation."

"I'm not so sure I owe you anything." she said, sadly. "You've moved on just as much as I have."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "You have no idea what I've been up to."

"You're a married man." she said. "Married to someone else and you have been for a long time now."

"If you're talking about Katherine you couldn't be more wrong." he replied. "She and I have been divorced for a while now."

"Because of your child with Cheryl Stansbury." she said, flatly. "You've moved on and I've moved on so let's just leave it at that."

"You know nothing about me." he said, angrily. "A lot of things have changed since your 'death', but you seem to know an awful lot about me. Why is that?"

"Let's just forget this mess." she said, heading for the door. "We're much different people now and its time to let go and move on."

Robert halted her by placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Holly, I'm not letting you out of my sight for even a moment until we discuss this. Things have to be settled."

"I have nothing to say."

"Of course you do." he argued. "You have plenty to say. You seem to think you know all about me and the things I've been doing over the years. So I want to know all about you. What have you been doing these last few years? Anna tells me that you and Duke have been together for a while. Let's just pick a date and you can tell me what you were doing, okay? May 1987. What were you doing at that point in your life?"

"I don't know."

"It doesn't have to be anything significant." he told her. "Just anything in general."

"I told you I don't know." she repeated, wiggling out of his grasp and heading toward the door. "You need to leave the past alone."

"Just tell me what you were doing!" he demanded. "Why is that so difficult?"

Holly turned back around to face him. "Because I don't know what I was doing." she told him. "I was in a coma for damn near two years from April of 1987 to February of 1989. I don't know anything that happened between those dates. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my husband."

"What do you mean you were in a coma?"

"I mean that I was in a car accident with my cousin Barry." she explained. "I never got on that plane, I flew to England instead. I wanted to be away from you. I wanted to clear my head. Barry and I went out for a drive in a very expense, very fast, car and I ended up flipping it. I had multiple injuries and Barry had a broken arm."

Robert could barely breathe. He was going to kill the Durban's. "Multiple injuries?"

"A lot of head trauma." she replied. "Some broken bones and things like that."

"Dammit!" he swore, loudly. "Why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't I know about this?"

"I don't know." she replied. "You've never gotten along with my family. Maybe they thought that I was going to die and they didn't want you to have to go through my death all over again."

"They're not that compassionate." he said. "They're not even human."

"I guess they just didn't want you to know."

"And after you woke up?" he asked. "Why didn't you come back then and explain things?"

"You were married to that pianist." she replied. "I didn't want to interrupt your happiness and so I left you alone. I did what I thought was best at the time."

"Well it wasn't best." he argued. "What was best would have been for me to know that you were alive and that you needed me."

"You move on so well." she said. "You have a whole other life here. A whole other family. You don't need me, Robert. And you haven't needed me from the moment Anna Devane stepped back into town. You should concentrate on your children and just forget you ever saw me here."

"Whatever you think you know about Cheryl and me, you're way off the mark."

tbc...


	7. Chapter 7

Unspoken

Chapter: 7

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

Robert reached out for Holly's hand and was relieved when it slide into his. He led her over to the sofa. They had to talk. They had to really talk things out. "I was married to Katherine Delafield for all of seven months." he told her as they sat down. "Things between us just weren't working out. We had different outlooks on life and different goals. In the end I realized that I just wasn't in love with her. I was in love with the idea of her, with the idea of being happy and normal although I knew I could never have it with her."

Holly let go of his hand. The warmth still radiating throughout her body. "I never knew that Duke was married to Anna." she confessed. "I never knew he had spent any time in Port Charles. I know very little about his life before we made one together. The past isn't something we spoke of often. And I don't know if I should be furious or grateful because of his omission. I just know that we were happy and now everything is a mess."

"Cheryl's son, Lucas, does not belong to me." he told her. "A DNA test confirmed it. He belongs to a mobster by the name of Jerome. She told me that I was his father, but that wasn't the case. You knew about Katherine and you knew about Cheryl, but how did you get the information?"

"Through my family." she told him. "My cousin Barry makes frequent trips to New York on business and he comes back with information for me. He hasn't been in a while and Duke knows nothing about it. I just wanted you to be happy, Robert. I remember how miserable Luke made our lives and I didn't want to do the same thing to you. Especially with a small child involved."

"A small child?"

"Yes." she answered, hesitantly. "Robin."

"And your daughter?" he asked. "What about her? She's in the middle of this too. Things have happened now that can't ever be changed. Things aren't ever going to be the same, Holly, and we both know that."

"What happened to Duke down on the docks?" she asked him. "And please don't lie to me. I have a right to know the truth. I have to protect our daughter."

"I'll take care of everything." he promised. "As for what happened maybe that's something that you should discuss with Duke."

"I'm asking you." she said. "I want you to tell me the truth."

Robert debated for several long moments. What he was about to tell her was going to blow her entire world apart. She thought that things were never going to be the same before but now she was going to be in for an even bigger shock. "You were checking up on me but you never bothered to dig into your husband's background." he observed. "Duke has quite the past in organized crime. He was supposedly killed in a mob explosion a few years ago."

Of all the things that had crossed Holly's mind, mob activities weren't one of them. She had thought that she had been in harms way in the past with Robert's position as a cop, but being the wife of someone involved in organized crime was like walking around with a target on her back. A target on their daughter's back. "He was shot because of his mob ties." she concluded. "That is what you're saying isn't it?"

"Yes." he whispered, hoarsely. "He was shot by some local thugs."

"Elizabeth." she cried. "You have to go get her, Robert. You have to get _our_ daughter. I would die if anything happened to her."

"Our?" he questioned. "Elizabeth is our daughter?"

"Yes." she admitted. "You can be mad at me later, you can hate me for the rest of our lives, but please go and get her. I want her to be safe."

Everything was happening so fast. Robert could barely breath. "Where is she?" he questioned. "Where's our daughter?"

"She's at the Port Charles Hotel with Nanny." she replied. "You have to go and get her, Robert. If Duke has mob ties then it isn't going to take very long to figure out that his wife and daughter are in town. Doesn't that make us targets?"

"Bigger targets than you know." he said, sadly. "I honestly have no idea how far things with Duke have gone, but we've got to get to Nanny and Elizabeth right away."

Anna's fingertips gently stroked the back of Duke's hand. He was alive. Really and truly alive. She had wanted this so much. She had waited for this moment for so long. And now it was finally here. The only problem was that he was married to someone else. He had been living his life with someone else as a husband and a father.

She wondered what his life with Holly had been like these past few years. She thought about what their home looked like. What their daughter looked like. How the interacted. What they did for fun. What restaurant they haunted. In her mind she was creating this perfect setting of what their life was like together. And she absolutely hated it.

Duke's eyes fluttered open and closed and finally focused on Anna. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Where's my wife?"

"I think you mean Robert's wife." she replied, still stroking his hand. "She and Robert are talking in the private waiting room. He's not a very happy man."

"No." he exhaled. "I didn't think that he would be."

"You set up house with his wife without ever telling her who you really were." she said. "How could you do that to her? How could you do that to me?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with you, Anna." he told her. "And I'm not about to discuss my relationship with Holly with you."

"Why not?" she questioned. "Your relationship with Holly is all but over."

"We have a child."

"Do you?" she asked. "Or do Robert and Holly have a child?"

"I think you should leave, Anna." he said. "You have no business here."

"I have plenty!" she raised her voice. "I thought that you were dead! I thought that I had lost everything and here you are alive! You're alive and you're married to Holly Scorpio of all people."

"Holly Lavery is my wife." he corrected her. "I love my wife and I'm going to fight for her."

"What about me?" Anna asked. "What about our relationship?"

"We don't have one." Duke replied. "I'm married to Holly."

"Don't you understand?' she asked him. "Robert has Holly back and there's no way in hell he's going to ever let her go ever again."

tbc...


	8. Chapter 8

Unspoken

Chapter: 8

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

The entire ride to the Port Charles Hotel was a silent one. A painfully silent one. Holly had always known that keep the truth from Robert was the worst thing she could possibly do, but the reality of it didn't actually hit her until they were sitting there in complete silence. Both of their minds reeling. She could feel her heart beating right out of her chest. It was in that moment that she realized that what she had done could never be undone. And for that she knew she was going to have to pay.

Holly continued to watch Robert as they exited the car, walked to the hotel, and entered through the side. He even held the door open for her. A hopeful sign Holly thought. He even rested his hand on the small of her back as he guiding her into the elevator. Something she took small comfort in. She tried her hardest to read Robert's mood, something to keep her mind off of the endless possibilities set into motion because of Duke.

They stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor and Holly immediately led them to her room. She turned the key quickly and let them inside, moving as though her life depended on it. And it did. She moved through the suite and into one of the bedrooms, relieved to find Elizabeth sitting in the middle of the bed with Nanny reading her a story.

"Poppet, you're back so soon." she said, looking up from the storybook. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, concerned. "It's not Duke is it?"

"Duke woke up." she told her, moving further into the room letting Robert enter as well. "There's been a change in plans."

Nanny wasn't that surprised to see Robert. She knew that the moment that Holly said they were going to Port Charles that Robert would end up back in her orbit. And she knew that the truth would come out, it always does. "What's the problem?" she asked. "I know that there's something wrong."

"There is." Robert replied. "And I promise to explain everything to you as soon as I get the two of you somewhere safe."

"I'll get the baby's things together." Nanny said, getting up and heading toward the door. "Excuse me."

And then they were alone. Robert and Holly and the daughter she had kept from him. They were all together in one big, strange, mess. The silence was as awkward as ever and Holly was as heartbroken as ever.

"Mummy." Elizabeth broke the silence. "Can we have a tea party?"

Holly moved toward the bed. "A little later, darling." she told her. "Right now we're going to take a little trip with Robert."

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking past her mother and at the man standing at the door. "The zoo? I love the zoo."

Robert smiled at the little girl. "We're going somewhere with lots of toys." he promised her. "And there's someone there who's just waiting to have a tea party with you."

Elizabeth smiled back at him. "That sounds fun." she said. "Zoo, tomorrow?"

"We'll see, Elizabeth." Holly said, lifting her up off the bed. "Now let's get ready to go."

Anna poured a cup of water and handed it to Duke. "You know I think before you got shot you may have had a chance with Holly." she told him. "A damn good chance, but I think you can give up on that now. You put Holly and her daughter in the middle of chaos and she's never going to forgive you for that."

"You know nothing about my relationship with Holly." he said, taking a sip of water. "You have no idea what things are like between us."

"I don't have to know anything about your relationship." she replied. "And I don't care if every single day of your life together was like floating on cloud nine. If you think Holly is going to walk back into your open arms after this little mishap then you're sadly mistaken. She was always a lover of adventure, but never of complete danger."

"Holly's changed."

"I'm not doubting that she has." she agreed. "And if she didn't have Elizabeth I don't think it would be as big as a deal, but she's not going to let anything get in the way of her daughter's safety and security. And you know that, Duke. I know you know that."

"I made a mistake." he said. "People make mistakes all the time."

"Not like this." Anna replied. "You knew who she was, you knew that Robert Scorpio was the father of that little girl, you knew everything about her and in return she knew nothing about you/ I think that's a little more than a mistake. You lied to her every single day from the day the two of you met. That's a little hard to forgive."

"You've always had a strong dislike for Holly." he said. "Why is that?"

"I harbor no ill feelings toward Holly." she told him. "On the other hand, I'm not so sure she feels the same way about me. Not that I haven't given her reason enough to dislike me. She was always good to Robin and that's the only thing that matters."

"You did try your very best to sabotage her marriage, Anna." he said. "I wouldn't greet you warmly either."

"I'm just saying that I think you've lost out, Duke." she replied. "But on the other hand it looks as though you're going to live."

Robert had phoned Robin from the hotel room and told her to pull out a box of her old toys from the attic. He was bringing home someone who was most interested in them, especially the little rose covered tea set that her stepmother had given her for her eighth birthday. And whilst his daughter plied him with questions Robert did his very best to get her off the phone promising to explain everything to her later.

When they arrived at the penthouse they were greeted by several different guards. Robert spoke to them briefly about his expectations of them, never once letting Holly or their daughter out of his site, and then he led them up to what he considered the safest place in Port Charles. Elizabeth chattered to Nanny as they rode up on the elevator breaking the uncomfortable silence between all of them. Like a little light in all the darkness.

Robert spoke to two more guards and then led them into the penthouse where a waiting Robin greeted him. He watched the look on his daughter's face as it went from him to Holly and then back to him again. "Is it really her, dad?" she asked, softly. "Is it?"

"Yes." he answered. "It's really Holly."

Robin flew straight into her stepmother's arms. "You don't know how happy I am to see you." she said. "I thought that you died. What happened?"

Holly hugged Robin back with equal vigor. "It's a very long story, Robin." she said, pulling back and looking at her. "You're growing into such a beautiful young woman."

"Thank you." she smiled. "You look fantastic. We have so much to catch up on."

"Later, Robin." Robert interrupted. "Right now I need you to take Holly's daughter, Elizabeth, upstairs and show her all your dolls and your tea set."

Elizabeth smiled at Robin. "I love tea parties!" she said. "Can we play?"

Robin sensed that there was so much more going on than what was being said. She knew that her father and stepmother had a lot of talking to do. And something was definitely up, something other than Holly appearing out of nowhere. She offered her hand out to the little girl. "Hi, Elizabeth, I'm Robin." she said, smiling. "Why don't we go upstairs and start that tea party?"

Elizabeth slipped her little hand into Robin's. "Okay." she smiled. "You can pour."

Robert watched as his daughters went up the stairs hand and hand. And he realized just how much he had missed. "Why do the women in my life insist on keeping my children from me?" he asked no one in particular. "Why?"

Holly heard him but remained silent. She knew that just about everything that she said was going to be the wrong thing and so the only thing she could do was keep her silence. Robert escorted Nanny up to one of the guest rooms so that she could settle in. And he more than needed some alone time with Holly.

"I'm sorry." were the first words out of her mouth. "I thought that Elizabeth and I were safe with Duke. I didn't think there were any enemies or a past that would pop back up to haunt us. I realize now that I've never been so wrong about anything or anyone in my entire life. The only thing I can tell you is how sorry I am and I know that does hold much weight. I should have never kept Elizabeth away from you. I know how hard it was when Anna did it and I turned around and did the exact same thing."

"You don't have to keep apologizing." he told her. "What's done is done and there's no way it can be taken back."

"It doesn't change the way I feel." she said, softly. "I kept you from your child and I don't think I can ever get over that."

"I want Elizabeth to stay here with me." he said, firmly. "I can provide a much safer environment for her than anyone else."

"Okay." Holly agreed. "And when this mess is over?"

"Your husband is a mobster." he told her. "This mess is never going to be over."

tbc...


	9. Chapter 9

Unspoken

Chapter: 9

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

The tension in the room had just grown even thicker, thicker than Holly ever thought possible. Suddenly she wasn't safe enough to be her own daughter's mother. Not that she disagreed with what Robert was saying, he was the safest place for their daughter right now, but it somehow made her feel as though everything she had been doing was inferior to what he could provide.

"I never would have thought in a million years that Duke had ties with the mob." she told him. "But you're absolutely right, Robert, Elizabeth would be safer here with you. For right now. After I straighten things out we'll have to reassess the situation."

"I think that could take a while." he told her, honestly. "Robin stays here with me full time because it's safer."

"Well that's something between you and Anna." she replied. "But I fully intend to be a large part of our daughter's life."

"I'm not trying to take Elizabeth away from you." he said. "I'm just trying to ensure her safety and right now she's safest with me."

"You think you have an iron fortress here, Robert?" she snapped. "Because I don't think I pose that much of a threat to my own daughter. And I sure as hell don't want her bricked up here for the rest of her life."

"You kept her from me for over three years!" he said, loudly. "Do you honestly blame me for not wanting her out of my sight? Especially with everything that's happened."

"I was in a coma for part of that time." she reminded him. "I want what's best for my child, that's all I've ever wanted but right now the only father she's ever known is lying in a hospital bed struggling to recover. You just can't rip everything out from under her right now. It's too much too soon."

"Being caught in mob crossfire isn't an option." he told her. "Elizabeth stays here."

"Fine." she agreed. "But I want Nanny to stay with her. I cannot leave my daughter alone with practical strangers."

"You mean her father and her sister?"

"Something like that." she said. "Could I at least tell my daughter goodbye before I leave her here with you?"

"I'm not doing this to hurt you, Holly."

Holly walked past him and toward the stairs. "Sure feels like it."

~General Hospital~

Duke shifted uncomfortably in his bed. "What makes you such an expert on my wife?" he asked Anna. "You don't even really know her."

"I know enough." she replied. "Just like I know that right now Elizabeth is with Robert and he's not going to let her out of his sight. Which you shouldn't be surprised about I mean after all he is the little girl's father."

"I'm the one that's been raising Elizabeth." he said, getting angry. "I'm the only father that she's ever known."

"And if you wouldn't have came back to Port Charles and gotten yourself shot you would still be a very happy family." she reminded him. "Why would you get back into this mess to begin with? What was so tempting that you were willing to sacrifice everything?"

"I'm not back in." he said, firmly. "It was all a big misunderstanding."

"I'm sure it was." she said. "The bigger question is how are you going to explain all of this to Robert? Because he is police commissioner and this is very personal to him. He's not going to just let it go."

"Why are you so bitter?"

"Because I don't like being lied to." she replied. "All this time I thought you were dead and you were living it up with Holly, playing house in another country alive and well. How did you expect me to feel?"

"I thought you would have moved on." he admitted honestly. "Life goes on and I thought you would too. I thought that you would move on with your life and be happy with someone else. Don't you know that you deserve to be happy?"

"I've tried." she confessed. "I just haven't had much luck."

"I would have thought that you would have gotten back together with Robert."

"Robert has only ever had eyes for one woman." she told him. "And I'm not that woman. Now that Holly is back I don't think there's going to be anything to keep them apart. Not even her so called marriage to you. It's a little difficult to pass up that one great love when you've been given a second chance."

"So I should just let her go?" he asked. "I should just let whatever we had slip away and forget the past few years of my life?"

"I don't think you should forget them, but I think you should do the right thing here, Duke." Anna said, softly. "I think if you ever want to be able to see Elizabeth again then you should apologize and bow out as gracefully as possible."

"I think you're suppose to be on my side, Anna." he told her. "You are my ex-wife after all."

"Well technically I'm still your wife." she replied. "We were married when you supposedly died and now that you're alive it makes our marriage valid and your marriage to Holly invalid. She's still very much married to Robert. Making this one big mess. So if you don't mind I think I would like a divorce."

~Robert's Penthouse~

Holly tried to have an unemotional goodbye with her daughter. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her daughter before she left her with a father and a sister that she didn't know. At least Nanny would be there to make the transition go as smoothly as possible. And that was certainly better than nothing. She left her daughter having a tea party with Robin and hoped that she would be well occupied.

When she made her way back downstairs she found Robert waiting for her on the sofa. It should have been something that she would have loved to see, but she knew that the worst was yet to come. "I think you and I need to talk." Robert said. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I think we've said enough." she said, heading toward the door. "I have some things to take care of with Duke at the hospital. If you could please give me a call at my hotel later and let me know how Elizabeth is I would really appreciate it."

"You're not going back to your hotel tonight." he told her. "You're going to stay right here with me. I have no plans to let you out of my sight."

"As flattering as that is I'm a big girl, Robert." she replied. "I can take care of myself."

"You're staying here and that's that." he said. "You and I have a lot of things to discuss and I think that the sooner we do that the better."

"We've already discussed things."

"I think there's a lot more that we need to work out." he told her. "Starting with the fact that we're still husband and wife. Now I've arranged a nice dinner for us tonight at the Versailles room."

"I need to take care of some things at the hospital." she said, not declining his offer, but not really accepting it. "Can I at least do that?"

"Of course you can." he replied. "I'll even take you. There are some things I need to go over with Duke myself."

tbc...


	10. Chapter 10

Unspoken

Chapter: 10

Pairing: Robert and Holly

Rating: PG

~General Hospital~

When Holly entered Duke's hospital room Anna immediately stood up and left without as much as a word. She passed Robert in the hallway, but never bothered to stop. She needed some time to think. She needed some time for herself. And the only thing that Duke was worried about was Holly, his wife. And that was something that she couldn't take.

Holly took a seat next to Duke, the one that Anna had just vacated. Duke had never seen the look on her face before and was more than sure that it wasn't one that he ever wanted to see again. "So mob ties?" she asked. "That's what all those late night's were about? All those business trips out of the country? I mean that's why you were shot, right?"

"Not exactly." he replied. "What happened was just a misunderstanding. I was on the docks making my way to a business meeting when I ran into someone from my past. They got the wrong idea and it seems as though you have as well."

"How could you not tell me?" she asked, tears in her eyes. "How could you not tell me that you were involved in something like this? We've been targets all along. And Elizabeth. I was letting you raise my daughter. I wanted to keep her safe and happy and then I find out that you're hiding something like this from me and I realize that she hasn't been safe this entire time."

"I've always protected you and Elizabeth." he told her. "The two of you have always came first and you've always been as safe as possible."

"Safe would have been a million miles away from you." she cried. "I know men like you. I watched my husband put away men like you so excuse me if I have a difficult time believing you when you say that we were safe with you. People die in your business, Duke, everyone is a target. You made my daughter a target, how am I ever going to be able to forgive you for that?"

"This is all a misunderstanding." he implored. "I'm out of that lifestyle. And I have been for quite some time now. I swear to you, Holly, I would never do something to intentionally harm you or our daughter."

"You're not out." she said, wiping her eyes. "It's not a business that you can get out of. I think your little lead souvenir more than proves that."

"I would never put you in harms way."

"Don't you get it, Duke?" she asked. "You already have, but you're not man enough to admit it."

"So what now?" he asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"We're not even married." she reminded him. "Not legally anyway. I think that's going to make things a lot easier. You've kept so much from me. You never told me you lived in Port Charles or that you knew who I was, or that you were once involved in one of the most dangerous organizations in the world. I just want to walk away from all of this."

"And what about Elizabeth?" he asked. "What about our daughter? What happens to her in all of this mess?"

"Elizabeth will be fine." she assured him. "I think she'll adjust well and hopefully Robert will actually let me be a part of her life."

"So this is it?" he asked, tears in his eyes. "You're just going to leave me here like this? You're just going to walk out on me and never look back?"

"I love you, Duke, and nothing is ever going to change that." she told him. "You're just not the man that I thought that you were. And if it was just me then maybe this wouldn't be such a big deal, but I cannot have Elizabeth anywhere near this lifestyle. I need my daughter in my life and the only way that's going to happen is to stay as far away from you as possible."

"Robert's making you do this?"

"No." she replied. "I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do. Look, Duke, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to just end things right here and right now like this. I don't know how I'm suppose to forget everything we've been through together and everything we've shared over the past few years, but I have to move on and away from you."

"Hell of a time to leave me, Holly." he said. "I've just been through a terrible ordeal and now I'm losing my wife and my daughter."

"I don't think you're going to be completely alone." she told him. "I think if you open your eyes a little bit you'll see that there's a very hurt woman waiting in the wings. A woman who can accept who you are and deal with it. Your wife."

Holly quietly exited Duke's hospital room and closed the door behind her. So many emotions were spinning throughout her head. It was official: her entire life was upside down. She made it a few steps away from his room before she completely broke down. She rested her back against the wall and slowly slid down into a sitting position. She had lost her husband and possibly her daughter and nothing was ever going to be the same again.

"Here." Robert said extending a handkerchief. "You look like you could use this."

She looked up at him, her eyes tears stained and mascara streaking down her face, to find Robert looking down at her. "Thank you." she said, accepting his handkerchief. "You have a white knight complex, did you know that?"

"Perhaps." he said, taking a seat beside her. "I always did have a soft spot when it came to you."

Holly smiled briefly as she was reminded of their past together. "And most of the time you know exactly what to say."

"I had plenty of practice." he replied. "We were together for over four years and I learnt a thing or two about you. Now what do you think about having an s cocktail before dinner?"

"I never agreed to dinner." she said, wiping her eyes. "And besides I thought that you wanted to talk to Duke about what happened down on the docks?"

"Duke can wait." he told her. "I don't remember giving you an option about dinner in the first place. We really do need to talk and I think over dinner would be best. Now let's get you back to the Penthouse and properly dressed so that we can get to the Versailles room."

"Properly dressed?" she asked. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could work on mending your broken heart." he said. "Nice and slowly."

tbc...


End file.
